Our View: Loss of a third of BAY 3 TV funding is an opportunity to invite community into the studio

The loss of the city of Bay City as a partner that helped fund the government-access channel BAY 3 TV isn’t so much a loss as it is an opportunity to re-examine its potential audiences, how that channel is run and why it is operated.

When the new budget year kicked in on July 1 in Bay City, its annual $41,000 share of funding for BAY 3 TV became history. The city eventually plans to broadcast meetings over the Internet. We’re glad to see that commitment to open government.

Like most municipalities, the city needs every dollar it can squeeze. We understand that. But we aren’t happy that broadcasts of City Commission meetings will no longer be available for Charter Cable television subscribers.

The 10-year run of broadcasts of meetings gave more people more access to their governments’ proceedings than ever before.

The city’s decision to cut funding came as a rude shock to its partners, Bay City Public Schools and Bay County government, both of which also pay $41,000 a year to keep the channel with its two employees up and running.

Those partners should have been informed that the third leg of the tripod supporting BAY 3 TV was dropping out.

For now though, Bay County and school officials are trying to figure how to keep the channel up and operating, still broadcasting government meetings at least.Thanks, we appreciate that.

In the meantime, the county and school district should seriously consider revamping the channel and its mission.

Now, it’s merely a tool of government, broadcasting meetings, public service spots and the like.

It could be so much more.

It should be a full-fledged public access channel, both an outlet for Bay City’s thriving arts community, political pundits of all stripes and as a channel that interrupts that programming to bring the public meeting coverage.

The whole, wonderful rainbow of free expression and speech. Within the dictates of the Federal Communications Commission, of course.

Perhaps Darkhaus Sound & Film will again bring campy, old horror movies back to the channel. It was asked to leave years ago, under the pretense that some viewers complained.

In fact, in a letter to the editor in late 2009, Darkhaus’ G.C. Kirkland claimed that local residents volunteering their time could make it all work. We think he was right.

Bay County and the schools might be able to pay just one person to oversee the operation, and let the people of Bay County have at it. The two remaining funding partners might even be able to cut their annual allocations to the station.

They could completely cut their payments to BAY 3 TV if Bay County municipalities would stand up and assert themselves during renewal of their contracts with cable TV service provider Charter Communications. The dirty little secret is that each community gets a franchise fee from Charter for permission to operate its service in each jurisdiction. These are contracts, which means there is wiggle room and that they are negotiated.

In these very tight budget times, we don’t realistically expect any community to let go of some franchise fees to pay for BAY 3 TV. But why couldn’t they negotiate for more money when contract time comes around, and pay the extra to BAY 3 TV?

The channel does provide a great, if very unimaginative and dry, service to the community. We’d hate to see it fade away.

But instead of rerun after rerun of the same public service announcements or meetings, add community input to the mix, using the volunteers that are plentiful in our area and the talent that abounds here.

Don’t let fear drive the overhaul. Public access programming should be open to all, so we’ll all have to expect some TV segments that may offend the political, social or personal sentiments of some.

That’s also the beauty of full-access programming. Let anyone get on their soap box, let anyone’s freak flag fly.

This could be a lot of fun.

Yes, Bay City’s portion of the channel’s funding will be missed. But it doesn’t have to be the end.